


He'll Gladly Drown

by IntoTheMiddleDistance



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Fluff and Angst, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:13:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25202995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntoTheMiddleDistance/pseuds/IntoTheMiddleDistance
Summary: Soulmate/Soulmark AU. Aziraphale and Crowley are soulmates; Aziraphale has seen Crowley’s soulmark and has known the truth for a long time. Crowley has no idea they’re so deeply connected. Worried about the consequences of being soulmates with a demon, Aziraphale has made sure to hide his soulmark from Crowley. But in the celebration after Armageddon fails, the truth comes out.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 154





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for soulmate AUs, so here - have some fluffy angsty goodness!

In all the years he’d known Aziraphale, Crowley had never seen the angel’s soulmark. He knew Aziraphale had one, everyone did – angels, demons, humans, the lot. The marks were located in different places, there wasn’t any rhyme or reason to it, or there didn’t seem to be. Sometimes Crowley thought, if he ever got the chance to talk to Her again, he’d ask about soulmarks, and soulmates, and why she’d done it. He didn’t _mind_ having one, he was just curious. That same sort of curiosity was why’d he’d fallen in the first places, and some things never changed, not even after 6,000 years. Crowley had always been curious, and if his soulmate was still out there (he assumed they were,) well – he’d like to know.

When he was in his own body, his soulmark was on his left calf. He didn’t hide it like some people did, but he didn’t go showing it off either. Crowley wore whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and if his soulmark showed then it showed. But now, in Aziraphale’s body, the temptation to look for the angel’s soulmark was terrible. Crowley had always held a preposterously slim hope – soulmark notwithstanding, he was deeply, stupidly in love with the angel, and he had been for 6,000 years. He so desperately _wanted_ to know if Aziraphale was his mate. This was the perfect opportunity to check, the only chance like this Crowley would ever have. But he couldn’t abuse the angel’s trust like that, couldn’t look for a soulmark, not now. Not when they didn’t even know if this crazy scheme would work, if Heaven and Hell would really buy it.

“Choose your faces wisely,” Agnes Nutter’s prophecy had said. Aziraphale had thought (and Crowley agreed) that this meant they should switch bodies. Crowley in the angel’s body would survive the hellfire waiting for Aziraphale in Heaven, and the angel in Crowley’s body would outlast the holy water waiting in Hell. _If_ they survived long enough to switch back, they would be free. Maybe the angel would be so happy that he’d show Crowley his soulmark if the demon asked. After all, Aziraphale had never mentioned a soulmate to Crowley. And despite the angel’s insistence over the years that they were ‘not friends,’ Crowley was certain that if Aziraphale knew his soulmate, he would have said something.

Abandoning the idea of searching the body he was currently inhabiting for a soulmark, Crowley instead decided to see if he could get some sleep. Tomorrow was almost certainly going to be a very long day.

*****

Unlike Crowley, Aziraphale didn’t have to go looking for the demon’s soulmark because he’d seen it before. Sitting in Crowley’s flat, in Crowley’s body, the angel couldn’t stop looking at it. The reason for this was quite simple – the soulmark on Crowley’s leg matched the one on Aziraphale’s arm. They were soulmates. But Crowley didn’t know it. The angel knew his demonic counterpart didn’t know what they truly were to each other. Crowley would have said something. But now Crowley was in his body, would be for the next 24 hours at least, and Aziraphale couldn’t help but wonder if the demon would find it. The soulmark on the angel’s body that matched his own.

Part of him _wanted_ Crowley to find it, wanted to stop concealing it from him. It had only gotten harder over the years, especially since Aziraphale had realized how attracted to Crowley he really was. He couldn’t tell Crowley they were soulmates, but maybe while he was in Aziraphale’s body, the demon would see it for himself.

After the Armageddon that wasn’t and all this aftermath, Aziraphale was mentally and physically exhausted. He really should take Crowley’s suggestion and try to sleep. But he just couldn’t. Only a few more hours until the potential end of his existence (the end of Crowley’s existence too, insisted his brain). The angel spent the rest of the night sitting on Crowley’s bed, wide-awake, watching out the window until morning came.

*****

They’d done it! Against all odds, old Agnes Nutter had been right and they’d managed to outfox Heaven and Hell! Crowley was absolutely elated as they switched back to their own bodies, and Aziraphale seemed rather giddy himself.

“We’re free, angel! We’re free! We’re on our own side, forever!”

Crowley grabbed the angel’s hand, spun him around.

“We can go wherever we want, do whatever we want, _together_! No more looking over our shoulders to make sure we’re not being followed – what do you want to do first?”

Aziraphale had gone slightly pale, but still smiled at Crowley.

“Well, my dear, I think perhaps lunch. And a drink, maybe.”

Crowley snapped his fingers. “The Ritz then! I’ll buy – I owe you one, from – I don’t remember when, but I’m sure it’s my turn.”

Aziraphale smiled and accepted Crowley’s arm when the demon offered it. Sitting in The Ritz with the angel he loved, watching him eat food and enjoying high quality wine, Crowley had never been happier.

“To the world,” he said, and their glasses clinked.

*****

Back in the bookshop, more wine was poured. The angel and the demon relaxed even further. Crowley was practically one with the sofa, sprawled out across it like he didn’t have bones. Aziraphale, rather buzzed himself, had to admit that the demon was incredibly appealing like that, so relaxed and happy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been truly happy, always worried about Heaven looking over his shoulder. But he was happy now. And rather warm – it must have been the alcohol, making him feel that way. Drunk on freedom and copious amounts of wine, Aziraphale peeled his jacket off and draped it over a chair.

“Woo, angel! Take it all off!” Crowley’s words were slurred but his eyes were fixed on Aziraphale.

Ordinarily, drunk or not, the angel would have recognized the danger and stopped there. But tonight he kept going, removing his bowtie and rolling up his sleeves.

“That’s what I’m talking abo-“ The rest of the word abruptly cut off. The empty wine bottles around the shop started to refill as Crowley sobered up. Aziraphale blinked at him, confused. But Crowley wasn’t looking at him, or rather, not at his face. The demon’s gaze was fixed on the exposed skin of Aziraphale’s right arm, almost at the elbow. His soulmark. The angel looked from his soulmark to his soulmate and back again.

“Oh hell,” said Aziraphale, and sobered up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for more angst!

Before he could roll his sleeve back down, before he could do anything, Crowley was off the couch and across the room, reaching for Aziraphale’s arm, entranced.

“Angel?” He asked softly, as though he wasn’t sure what his eyes were seeing, “are we –?”

Aziraphale was silent for a long moment before he said,

“Yes. We are.” Like Crowley, he couldn’t quite say the word. 

“How long have you known?”

“Culloden, 1745. You were wearing a skirt that was a bit scandalous for the time. And then you crossed your legs and I could see it quite clearly.”

“That was hundreds of years ago! Were you ever going to tell me?”

This was the hard part, because he knew it was going to hurt Crowley so deeply and irrevocably and yet he owed him the truth. They’d been friends for 6,000 years, they’d just stopped the apocalypse together – Aziraphale was long past the point of being dishonest with Crowley.

“Never.” He said, and Crowley’s hand fell away from his arm as the demon retreated. “I was never going to tell you. But it wasn’t because of you, anything you did!” Aziraphale turned towards his soulmate, begging him to understand. Crowley had backed away, almost to the door, and his facial expression was thunderous.

“Oh sure, angel, I’m a demon, I’m not good enough to be your soulmate. Demons don’t deserve soulmates, I’m sure that’s how your lot feels. We’re the Fallen, we’re nothing.”

Aziraphale felt tears sliding down his face and did nothing to stop them. Though he’d consistently tried to lump himself in with the other angels over the years, Crowley had always referred to Aziraphale separately, as his own person, or as someone in a group with Crowley. Their side. Hearing the phrase “your lot” spit with such venom cut deeply.

“I don’t know how it’s done in Hell, but in Heaven, when you know who your soulmate is, you’re supposed to go and report it.”

Crowley’s expression changed from wounded to absolutely anguished.

“Angel you didn’t.”

Aziraphale gave a shaky laugh. “You always said I had too much faith in the system.”

Crowley moved closer, no longer in danger of going out the bookshop door.

“Did you know,” asked Aziraphale far too brightly, “that there’s a way to _remove_ a soulmark? End the bond?”

Crowley’s eyes went to the angel’s arm, where his soulmark was still clearly visible.

“The process is – it’s –“ Aziraphale closed his eyes against the memory that rose up, “painful is putting it a bit too mildly. It’s –“ He couldn’t come up with a word strong enough to encompass the mental and physical anguish of the removal process. “It’s excruciating, it’s like they’re ripping your heart out through your mark – I wouldn’t wish it on Satan himself, it’s the worst thing I’ve ever felt.” Aziraphale’s eyes were shiny with tears threatening to fall, and Crowley’s were as well. Taking a deep breath, the angel continued.

“But the removal only works if you _want_ it to work. You have to truly want your soulmark removed, otherwise it doesn’t take. And I -” Aziraphale flushed and looked away from Crowley’s wide, sorrowful eyes. He’d kept this secret for hundreds of years, before he’d even known the demon was his soulmate. Saying it out loud was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

“I didn’t want it removed. I didn’t want to lose my soulmate, didn’t want to lose _you_ , Crowley. Because I –“ His mouth caught around the words, he couldn’t get them past his lips. He met Crowley’s eyes, begging him to understand what he couldn’t say.

With supernatural speed, Crowley closed the gap between them and wrapped Aziraphale in his arms.

“I love you, angel,” he said, voice breaking on the words, “I love you, I’ve loved you for 6,000 years, ever since I saw you on that damn wall, I had to go over and say hello and then you’d given away your sword and I just -”

His soulmate loved him, _Crowley_ loved him, was holding him tightly, breathing into his neck – Aziraphale burst into tears. The stress of keeping his soulmark a secret had finally been lifted, and he was truly free. He could be with Crowley without fear of the consequences. That had never happened before. Aziraphale slowly became aware that he was repeating Crowley’s name over and over in a desperate tone.

“I’m right here, angel,” said Crowley soothingly, running his hands over Aziraphale’s back, “I’ll always be right here, never letting you out of my sight again, my soulmate –“ The demon released his tight grip slightly and Aziraphale met his beautiful yellow eyes. Crowley was crying as well, and the angel couldn’t bear the thought of that. He reached up, tenderly wiping the tears from his demon’s eyes, and Crowley kissed him.

Nothing in the history of the world had ever felt so right as Crowley’s lips on his. After all they’ve been through, Aziraphale is in danger of discorporating in his own bookshop because of the feeling of Crowley’s mouth moving against his, demanding access, deepening the kiss until Aziraphale was drowning in it. And he didn’t care. He’ll gladly drown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they lived happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/kudos/constructive criticism always accepted! Thanks for reading!


End file.
